Cable connecter



Jan 6, 1931. L. H. CHURCH 1,787,667

CABLE counsc'rsa Filed Nov. 12. 1925 III/II/I/IIII/I r////////// INVENTOR s l5. Chara/z.

BY a

RNEYS mea ne s I c 1,787,667;

unites stares sa rssr oF cE LEWIS onuncn, on E nizABETI-I, annsninssieivonro THE momsanmis 00., or ELIZABETH, N w A eoarona'rro'n osnnw JERSEY p CABLE oonnncrna Application filed November 12, 1826. seriai No. i4s,evo.-

This invention relates .to cable connecters panying drawing which shows onejembodt and particularly to bushings therefor, and ment of the invention, and it is understood relates'to adapter connecters capable of unithat the connecter may be varied in conversally' anchoring all sizes and shapes, flat struction,'operation and use without depart 5 or round, large or'smallfarmored or soft, ing from the principles of this invention. 5; cable to electric fixture boxes. I i v i Figure 1 shows a sheet metal stamping in Anoutstanding object-of the invention is eluding an integral bushing, and Figure 2 to provide, on an adapter 'connecter capable illustrates a section on the line 2-42. of such universality of use as: above stated, a Figure 3 shows a finished co nnecter mem 1o bushing which acts as a stop against which her as a sleeve rolled from the flat stamping; (.0 comes to, restthe ragged sharp jagged end of and Figure 4: illustrates a longitudinal sectl'iearmored-cable, asgwell as'to guide and tion thereof complete with operating means protect theinsulation-covered wires from the, as a screw; v sharp metal armored cable end. It is the ob- I liigure 5 shows the outer end of the sleeve; lfi'ject to improve bushingson and for connecand Figure 6 shows the inn-er, end, i. e. -'the (Eu ters ,to the end that a full-fashioned solid bushing end. i H f ring circular bushing, unmutilated, in its 7 Figures 7, 8 and 9 show views of an'adapter structure, may be carried with an adapting element as use on the c'cnnecter, which connecter, particularly when the connecter adapter includes a cablebearing clamp plate 20 itself maybe a split-type sleeve connecteror and sleeve closing shutters, Figure 7 being 70 otherwiseconstructed to render it elastic to the end of the adapter which carries a slotted iacilitateits anchorage in box. Y H shutter, Figure 8. a longitudinal section, and

Also itgisan object to PIOVldG on a cable Figurefi a plan viewcthe adapter. connecter, a wire gulde bushing which fund. Figure 101s a longitudinal section of the tions entirely independently of the connecter assembled connecter member, with its appurappurtenances such as operating or pressure tenances, i. e. the operating means,fand the producing means, the box hole edge anchoradapter and Figure llshows the outer end agewineans, the adapter, 'or other elements thereof. i i I j I which may be movably carried with the con- Figure 12 shows an. electric fixture box to 30 necter. I p 'gether' with a conne'cter and cable assembly, a

Afurther object is to produce a vcableconillustrating how the adapter. connector, with 'necter of improved sleeve type wherein the its bushing anchors a cable in a box. sleeve is partly split longitudinally and part- 7 The next five views illustrate a nodilied ly split transversely so that one end of: the form of the connecterlincluding a box assem- 35 sleeve iselastic to facilitate entry into a box bly showing the application of the modified 3;; hole and theother end is an unbroken ring connecter; and the variation in construction portion from which a full-fashioned solid appertains to specially designed adapter ring bushin is fashioned. v guidemeans. V p

AI further object of the invention is to pro- Figures 13 and 14 show respectively, the

:0 duce a cable connecter including an adapter outer end of the modified adapterand a lonac together with improved guide means Wheregitudinal section. I

by the adapter is guided in movement on the Figures 15 and 16 show respectively, a plan connecter member or in a conne'cter sleeve view and a section on line 1(E l6 of the conand retained in. working relation or alignnecter, the sleeve of which may be substanment with the operating or pressureproductially the same in structure as in the former ing means. I views, but the adapter is changed somewhat.

With the above and other objects in View, Figure 17 isa box assembly view of the the invention has relation to the several eX modified connect-er.

ample's of construction and'modes of assem- Referring further to the drawing for a debly and operation as presented in the accomscription of an embodiment of the invention, we

close the hole against entry of plaster and and describing first that form of the connecter shown in Figures 1 to 12, reference is first made'to the general box view Figure 12 for an understanding of theuses of a con necter. I I f An outstanding featurev of this invention is the ability of the connecter to adapt itself to small.or large, flat or round, armoredor unarmored cable, and to anchor the cable in a standardsrze holeH of boxes B and then dirt incident to building construction. Electric fixture boxes B receive cable G into the box hole or knock-out H; and the wires W are manipulated within the boxes B to establish electric connections in the usual way. Aconnecterin'ember 5 with its appurtenances is anchored'inthe boxho'le'H by any suitable means and also secures the cable to'thebox.

5 The inner'endof the cableC e'soecia'll if 20 V a l hmemb er of suitable form on which is mov ably carried "the connecter appurtenances such as the operating means. and the adapter. To thls end, asleeve is shown as anexample ofa connecter member orbase member, acting as a foundatlon upon which to mount the movable connecter appurtenances. VJhile a sleeve 1s shown, other forms of a connecter base member can beiutilized, and the improved bushing combination adapts itself to any type of connecter member and performs its function independently of the 'movable connecter appurtenances. v

A sleeve 5 is to a large extent a preferred type connecter member and it may be rolled from the Figure 1 stamping. The sleeve stamping 5 is blanked from sheet metal-with a groove 6 formed therein. Preferably two parallel grooves 6 extend alon the edge of the stamping and thus the sleeve carries a circumferential box hole anchorage groove at each end to secure the connecter in the box hole H. The sleeve includes a longitudinal split 7 by which it is rendered inherently elastic so it may contract to enter a box hole and expand to cause one or the-other of its grooves to 'anchor'itself against the box hole edge. Operating means are carried with the connecter and 'are preferably mounted on the connecter member. To this end a threaded screw hole 9 is formed in the sleeve and a screw 10 is mounted in the sleeve and threads through the hole 9 to deliver pressure to an adapter element and to a cable received into thesleeve 5 and box hole H. Furthermore,

the screw operating or cable clamp means render effective the box hole edge anchorage means by expanding a sleeve groove 6, one or the other, in the box hole. It 1s important to observe that the screw 10 may be mounted inside or outside the boxB dependent upon .which sleeve groove 6 issnapped into the box hole H. v

A bushlng 12 is carried with the connecter,

andpreferably with the member The bushing is a continuous or solid fullfash oned ring unsplit and unmutilated, and

'is integrally attached to the connecter memher 5 by a neck 13. r in longitudinal alignment with the screw op The neckmay be formed crating means 9l0. The bushing neck 13 is bent at right angles to the plane of the Figure 1 stamping, so tha't the bushing axis and sleeve axisare coincident if desired. The neck 18 mountsthe bushing 12 in spaced relation from theinner end of the sleeveand thus is formed-aftransverse or circiunferential' slotlds'between'the sleeve and bushing.

Figure 3-shows the finished sleeve and bushing fashioned from a single sheetof metal, while F igure 4 sho s a complete convector by reason *o'f'c'arrying the screw 10.

vIn this first former the invention being described the-screw 10 and neck 13 may to advantage be inline oron the same side-of the'sleeve to better utilize the guide means to "be described and-by which the neck guides an adapter in movable alignment with the screw. The "connecter in Figure 4 may be used for certain types of workysay with armoredcable. 'The'screw 1O deliverspressure to the armored cable to fix the cable in a box hole H and in the connector 5 as well, and expands an anchorage groove 6 in the box hole H to anchor both the connecter and the cable i'n'th'e' box B. 'The solid ring fullfashion" type bushing 12 on a'split distensible's'lee'vebprotects the wires W and at the same timef'does not interfere with the action of the sleeve since the bushing is spaced from the sleeve and is independentof any and all sleeve operating means.

The above described sleeve with its bushing is one suitable form of connecter member which maybe used with an improved connecter adapter to produce a cable connecter of such universal applicationas early stated and by which cable of so many varieties can be attached to a box by one and the same connecter, thus rendering unnecessary the manufacture of a special c'onnect'er for each and every job and cable size with which one is confronted in building construction, 7

Referring to Figures 7, 8 and '9 for an understanding of the adapter element; there is' shown a U-shaped adapter fashioned from a single sheet metal stamping. In side elevation, the adapter is substantially U-'shaped and mav include one or twovparallel shutter 16 are preferably circular and may belarger, V

- in diameterthan that of the sleeve5 since the shutters are designed to close-that portion 7 of the sleeve passage andthe boxhole H not occupied by the cable C.

' H, one shutter will in reality close-the sleeve.

or box hole. However that may be, a more symmetrical construction is provided by 'making twoshutters 15 and 16 of uniform I size and thus both ends of the sleeve are by the screw closed. One of the sleeve shutters, as 16, is

provided with an opening, say a slot 19, to

cooperate with the neck 13 of the connector member and by which the'adapter 16-17 is movably retained and guided in Working relation with the screw operating cable clamp means 10. s I e The adapter-l6-17 is movably carried on the connecter or mounted within the sleeve 5 with the cable clamp plate 17 parallel to the sleeve axis and adapted to move laterally or radially therein and be worked or actuated 10. The shutter 16 slides up and down in slot 14 with its slot'19 embracing the neck 13.;111 this way the clamp plate 17 is retained in line withthe end of the screw 10 since the neck 13 acts as a stationary guide to direct the movement of the adapterlaterally back and forth in the sleeve 5. -The other shutter 15 slides freely at that end of the sleeve which is opposite the bushing 12. The operating means 10 forces the-clamp plate 17 against the cable C and'holds the shutters in closed position, the shutters moving down into closed position as the screw 10 is turned to eflect permanent anchorage of all parts.

The foregoing arrangement provides a connecter member 5 with its ends disposed movably between the upstanding parallel V. shutterplates 15 and 16 of an. adapter and with a clamp plate 17 disposed inside the sleeve and the shutters on the outside ofvthe sleeve together with a bushing which pro.- jects beyond the sleeve end overhanging the adjacent shutter plate entirely independent of the adapter and operating means. In other words, the bushing is carried beyond the end'of the sleeveconnecter where it is out of the way of all movable parts and thus is not required 'to be-split because it does not enter into the operation of the'cable con- ,7 necter.

lomingnow to a description of the modified form of the connecter, wherein thebush 7 ing neck-abovedescribed is not here used ,assa

guide for the adapter, reference is made to the Figures 13 through 17.

v The connecter shown in Figures 15 and 16 is similarto the connecter already described,

but the construction of the shutter and adapter guide means is varied. somewhat to the end that the adapter maybe mounted on providedwith one. or more box hole edge en-V gaging means such as anchorage grooves 22 together with a longitudinal split 23 bywhich the sleeve is rendered inherently elastic that itinay be contracted and snapped into a box hole H and expand therein. Furthermore, a bushing 24 is carried by a neck 25 at one end of the'sleeve21, and the bushing .24 is spaced from the connecter member 21 by a transverse slot 26. U

An adapter comprises a cable bearing clamp pla te 27 with integralupstanding parallelnshutter plates 28 and 29, and a m'odi: fiedlform of guide means therefor isshown. Th'eadaipter 27 -29 is slidably confined'over the ends or the sleeve 21; Thus one shutter 29 is slidable up and down in the slot 26 between the bushing 24and connecter member--21 while the other shutter 28 slidably engages the 'outersleeve end. A screw is I threaded throughthe sleeve '21 and stands in line with and perpendicularto the clamp plate 27' and parallel-and between the shutter plates 28 and 29'. i 1

The bushing neck 25 is disposed oppositely to the shutter 29 and oppositely to the, screw 30;: Furthermore, the shutter 29 is a full circular shutter; plate without being slotted so that the adapter in this form of the invention is uniform in construction at its ends and both shutters actto close the sleeve and box hole. Guide means to retain the sleeve 21 and adapter 27-29 in working relation and alignment are availed of by forming a cooperating guide rib andgroove between the outer sleeve end and one of the shutter plates. Forthis'purpose a groove '32 is cut in thesleeve end in axial alignment with the scre'w 30, and a lengthwise rib 33 is pressed into the shutter plate 28. The coopcrating shutter rib 33 and sleeve'groove 32 fit together and permit free up and down motion of the adapter 2729 in the sleeve 21 01- conversely permit the sleeve to slide up and downin aU-shaped adapter, but the adapterand sleeve parts are restrained against relative rotation one on theother by the cooperating guide rib and groove means 32 and 33. Y

Figure 17 shows the modified form of con necter just described mounted in a box B, and themanner of use and mode ofopera .tion is largely the same as the first connecter described; However, it is observed that the bushing neck 25 is usually disposed towards the lowermost part of the box. "The screw 30'is run down against the clampplate 27 todeliver. pressure toand clamp the cable C in thebox hole and. sleeve and to simultaneouslyexp'and the connecter sleeve'in the tu'ates' or Works and-holds the shutter or; shutters in closed position to seal that p01 tion of the cable-sleeve not occupied by the cable. Ofttimes thecable G is rather-"small and thus the shutters 28 or 29 are called upon to Clojseoff a substantially large passage through the sleeve.

In all forms-of the invention, it is.-:sig-

nificant that the bushing 12 or 24 is rigidly held at one end of the sleeve and performs 7 its oth cejas a stop for the extremity of the cable Candis a guide'for the Wires Wentirely independently of the c-onnecterbmemher and its movable appurtenances.

" What I claim is v lhA connecter comprising a member including box hole edge anchorage'means, a

cable clamp plate mounted'on' the member,

attachin means included on the ends of the j close a box hole, means toguide and retain the clamp plate and,shuttei on-the member, operating means carried W th the'connecter to deliver pressure on theclamp plate, and

a bushingcarried at the connecter end;

- A connecter comprising, a member in-. eluding box hole edge anchorage means, operating meanscarri'ed with the connecter to clamp against a cable, a full-fashioned circula r bushing carriedon the connecter end, said connecter provided with an open space between the member and bushing, and shutter means carried with the connecter and movably mounted, inthe open space between the bushing and member. v v r 4. A connecter comprising, a member including box hole edge anchorage means, 'a screw threaded-through the member to clamp against a cable and render efiective the box hole anchorage means, afull-fashioned: circular bushing and means carrying it in spaced relation from an end of the member, and a shutter movably disposed between the bushing and member and actuated) by the screw. v i V 5. A connecter comprising, a member ineluding box hole edge anchorage means, op-

erating means carried with the connecter to clamp :'against a cable and render eflective the box hole anchorage means of the member, a full-fashioned circular bushing, a neck integrally oining the bushing on one end of a the member Wit-ll a slotbetween the member and bushing, and shuttermeans movablydisposed {in ftheslotand; actuated by the operbushingand means carrying iton' the con necter beyond the adaptcr, .and operating means carried with the connecter to deliver pressureto the-adapter and Worlcthe means which anchors the connecter in 'a'box hole.

8. Aconnectercomprising,a sleeve and box heleanchorage means and also including a cir an rferential slot neajrone 'end, a shutter .sli'dably Frnountedin the slot,-;-a bushing f-zis'hionedon the sleeveend adjacent theslot, and operating means to hold the shatter closed andIw-ork the anchoragemeans. v

9. A'connectercomprising, -a sleeve and box'ho'le anchorage-means and also includin ga circumferential slot hear one end, a shutter slidably mounted iii the slot, :a clamp plate .integ ralmwith and at right angles to the shut-terinthe sleeve and extendingaway from the'slot, and operating means 'to hold the shutter closed and ".vork-tl1e anchorage means v f' H I0. Aica'ble connectercomprising, a longitudinally split sleeve having a box hole edge anchorage groove and 'a transverse slot adjaoen=tthe groove, a'shutt'er slid-ably disposed in the "slot, ope-ratin'gmeans mounted on the sleeve to hold the shutter closed and expand the sleeve groovein a box-hole, and a fullfashioned circular bushing formed of the sleeveendadj'acent the slot and adjacent't-he shutter.

11. A connectercomprising, a split sleeve with a box hole" edge anchorage groove and bushing,:said sleeve having a transverse slot between the bushing and-groove, operating means carried with the connecter to expand the groove, and 'a'shutter slidably disposed in the slot and held closed by the operating means. I

12. A connecter comprising; a sleeve split lengthwise, and having a boxh'ole edge en sgaging groove'at each end, a-bushing' carried at one end, and a transverse slot between the bushing and the adjacent groove; sleeve closing-means sli'dable in the-slot, and operating meanscrrriedwith the connecter to expand the split sleeve and actuate the closing means.

'13. A connecter comprising; a split-sleeve, a' bushingat one end, and a box hole anchorermovably vmount-v age groove at the other end; a shutter, and 'means mounting it for movement transv lengthwise from oneend to a point proximate hole; a neck the other end, including a circumferentially' extending slot cutting through the lengthwise split at the proximate point, a full-fashioned circular bushing made on'the end of the sleeve beyond the lengthwise split adjacent the slot, and a boxhole edge anchorage groove at each end of the lengthwise split portion; operating means mounted on the lengthwise split sleeveportin;' and an adapter, including parallel. circular sleeve closing plates, one of which slides in the slot and the other at the end of the sleeve, and a clamp plate inside the sleeve joining thesleeve closing plates and actuated by the operating means. V

15. A connecter comprising,'a sleeve including box hole anchorage means, a bushing spaced from the sleeve end, a neck joining the bushing to the sleeve; an adapter, in-

cluding a shutter mounted for transverse v movement in the connecter between the bushing and the sleeve, and a. clamp plate; clamp plate operating means, and means cooperat ing with the neck and shutter to guide-the clamp plate in working alignment with the operating means.

16. A connecter comprising, a sleeve, a bushing carried at one end, a neck connecting the sleeve and bushing in spaced relation, a shutter slidably mounted between the sleeve end and bushing, a clamp plate integral with the shutter and mounted in the sleeve for lateral movement, means between the bushing and sleeve end cooperating with the shutter by which the clamp plate is guided in its lateral movement, operating means to actuate the clamp plate, and box substantial longitudinal alignment with the operating means, a full-fashioned solid ring bushing integral with the neckand mounted.

at the end of member independently of the operating means.

19. A 7 formed from a single elongated strip of sheet material including box hole edge engaging means; a screw threaded through" the sleeve to clamp against a cable and seat the engagmg means agamst a box hole edge; and a bushing mo'unted-atthe end of the sleeve,

and integrally joined with the sleeve by means of a neck longitudinally in line withthe screw; s v

20. A connecter compr1s1ng, a sleeve rolled from a single rectangular sheet metal stamping, including box hole edge anchorage means, a tached to an edge ofthe stamping and ent at right angles tothe plane of the stamping to foldthe bushing into line with the sleeve,

bushing fashioned from a tin at- I connecter comprlsmg; a sleeve and operating means mounted onthe con- "necter to clamp againsta cable.

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature. LEWIS CHURCH.

hole edge anchorage means carried with the connecter.

disposed between the bushing and member,

said shutter having a slot which embraces the neck and guides the adapter in movable relation to the member; and operating means to 7 work the adapter. 7 18. A connecter. comprising; a, sleeve member formed from a single elongated strip of sheet material includingbox hole edge engaging means; operating means carried with the connecter, neously anchor the engaging means in a box integral with the member in to clamp a cable and simulta- V 

